Falcons Welcome Miami to BG for a Saturday Night Tilt

Saturday, January 25

Bowling Green, Ohio

6 PM

Bowling Green State University

Miami (Ohio)

Photo by: Bianca Garza, BGSU Marketing and Communications

January 24, 2014 | Men's Basketball

By: by Kevin Davis, Assistant Director for Athletic Communications

Miami (7-9, 3-2 MAC) vs. Bowling Green (9-9, 3-2 MAC)
Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014; 6:07 p.m. ET
Stroh Center (4,280) / Bowling Green, Ohio
TV: TWC Sports Channel
LIVE STATS
LIVE AUDIO
LIVE VIDEO
ESPN3
COMPLETE GAME NOTES (PDF)

2013-14 MAC STANDINGS
EAST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Akron	4-1	12-6
Buffalo	3-2	9-6
Ohio	3-2	13-5
Bowling Green	3-2	9-9
Miami	3-2	7-9
Kent State	2-3	11-7
WEST TEAMS	MAC	OVERALL
Toledo	4-1	16-2
Eastern Michigan	3-2	11-7
Western Michigan	3-2	10-7
Northern Illinois	1-4	7-10
Ball State	1-4	4-12
Central Michigan	0-5	7-10

LAY-UPS (SIZED FOR YOUR TWITTER ADDICTION)
* BGSU is in on a three game winning streak, matching its longest of the year.
* BGSU is coming off back-to-back road wins at Western Michigan and Ohio.
* Bowling Green has four players averaging double digit points in MAC play this season.
* Richaun Holmes has scored in double figures in 12 straight games.
* Anthony Henderson was named the MAC East Division Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 20.
* BGSU has erased a double digit deficit in each of its last two wins at WMU (15 points) and at Ohio (10 points).
* The Falcons made a season-high 10 trey's last time out at Western Michigan.
* BGSU has held its opponents to 65 points or less in each of its last 9 games.
* Coach Louis Orr is two wins away from picking up his 100th win at BGSU.
* Coach Orr is also only two wins away from recording his 200th career win.
* BGSU as a program is only four wins away from win number 1,300 (1,296).
* Bowling Green is in its 99th season of basketball this year.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Date: March 11, 2013
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio (Stroh Center) * First Round MAC Championship Tournament
Score: Miami, 63-52
Notes: Miami held the Bowling Green men's basketball team to just 28 percent shooting in the second half as the RedHawks defeated the Falcons 63-52 in the first round of the MAC Tournament in the Stroh Center. Miami, the No. 11 seed in the tournament, improves to 9-21, while Bowling Green, the No. 6 seed, ends its season at 13-19. BGSU jumped out to an early lead and held the advantage for much of the first half but Jon Harris kept the RedHawks in the game by making four three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes and scoring 14 points. His final trifecta of the period came from the top of the key and started a 7-0 run after which Miami never trailed again. He followed that three-pointer with a jumper that put Miami ahead 30-28 and Geovonie McKnight had a steal and layup that put the RedHawks up four. Luke Kraus answered with a three in the corner with 2:20 to play but Miami went into the halftime break with a 34-31 lead. That Kraus three-pointer was the last BGSU point for almost nine minutes as Miami opened the second half with nine straight points to take a 43-31 lead. BGSU missed its first seven shots before Kraus knocked down another three to bring the Falcons back within single digits. A'uston Calhoun brought BGSU to within seven at 47-40 as he completed an alley-oop from Chauncey Orr. After Orr altered a shot inside on Miami's next possession, Jordon Crawford dribbled around a screen and buried a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four. On BGSU's next possession, Calhoun received another pass from Orr for a dunk to bring the Falcons within two at 47-45. Miami's Allen Roberts banked home a runner in the paint, but Richaun Holmes answered inside and the Falcons trailed 49-47 with 4:35 to go. However, that's when Miami's Reggie Johnson took over. Johnson, who made just eight three-pointers in 16 MAC games, connected on two in a row, the second of which banked home from the top of the key to put the RedHawks ahead 55-49 with 1:40 to play. From there, BGSU was forced to chase and foul and Miami made its final eight free throws for the 63-52 victory. Bowling Green shot just 38 percent for the game and was outrebounded 33-30.

BGSU vs. MIAMI SERIES HISTORY
Bowling Green is only 52-78 versus the RedHawks of Miami all-time in men's basketball action. The two teams last met in the first round of the 2013 MAC Championship Tournament when #11 Miami upended #6 BGSU, 63-52, in the Stroh Center.

LAST 10 MEETINGS (Series tied at 5-5)
   Date                                Location                                   Result
   March 11, 2013             at Bowling Green #                L, 52-63
   Feb. 27, 2013                at Bowling Green                   W, 52-44
   Jan. 16, 2013                at Miami                                    L, 60-63
   Feb. 29, 2012                at Bowling Green                   W, 56-51
   Jan. 18, 2012                at Miami                                   W, 65-57
   Feb. 26, 2011                at Miami                                    L, 77-84
   Jan. 16, 2011                at Bowling Green                    W, 62-53
   Feb. 14, 2010               at Bowling Green                    W, 67-64
   Jan. 23, 2010               at Miami                                     L, 52-64
   March 5, 2009            at Miami                                     L, 45-50

   # MAC Championship Tournament game

LAST TIME OUT
The Bowling Green State University men's basketball team had three players in double figures and held the Ohio Bobcats to only 6-of-22 shooting (27.3 percent) from behind the three-point line to upend the Bobcats 58-56 in the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. Wednesday night's two-point victory was the first win for BGSU versus Ohio at the Convocation Center since a 52-51 win over the Bobcats back on Jan. 24, 2009. The win is the Falcons third straight victory, all of which have come in MAC play, and pushes Bowling Green to 9-9 overall and 3-2 in league play. The loss drops Ohio to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in the MAC. Bowling Green nearly doubled Ohio's points in the paint with a 32-18 advantage, while the Falcons also outscored the Bobcats 25-14 in points off turnovers. BGSU also had its best performance of the year at the free throw line, as the Falcons were 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) overall for the game. The Falcons were led by Spencer Parker's game-high 16 points, as he was 4-of-4 from the free throw line, while Jehvon Clarke and Richaun Holmes added 15 and 10 points apiece, respectively, in the win. Holmes, who was also 4-of-4 from the charity stripe, hauled in five rebounds, while fellow big man Cameron Black had seven points, six boards, two blocks and two steals in 31 minutes of play. Ohio was led offensively by T.J. Hall's 15 points, as he was 5-of-9 from the field overall, while Maurice Ndour chipped in with 12 points and eight boards in the loss. Sharp-shooter Nick Kellogg was held to 10 points on only 3-of-6 shooting for the contest. The tightly played contest, which saw 10 ties and 12 lead changes, went down to the wire, as BGSU saw its four point lead evaporate on two consecutive driving layups from Hall and Ndour with 5:46 to go in regulation. After a free throw from Ohio's Stevie Taylor put the Bobcats in front by one at 51-50, Bowling Green picked up a tough runner from Parker down the right side of the lane and a rebound and two-handed slam from Holmes over the next minute to give the Falcons a three point lead at 54-51. Following the under four minute media timeout, the Bobcats got a layup from Hall to cut the Falcons lead back to one at 54-53 with just over 3:30 to go in the game. Two straight contested layups from Clarke over a 50 second span put the visitors in orange back in front by five at 58-53 with 1:31 on the game clock. Ohio picked up a three-pointer from the top of the key from Hall to put the score at 58-56 in favor of the Falcons with just over a minute to go in the game. After two BGSU timeouts on the next possession and a jump-ball call that went in favor of the Falcons, the Bobcats were forced to foul as BGSU ran off over 40 seconds off the game clock. With just 18 seconds left in the game, BGSU's Clarke missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to give the Bobcats a chance on the defensive rebound. Out of its final timeout, the Bobcats' Kellogg fired up a contested three-pointer from 25 feet out which barely made it to the rim where time ran out and BGSU came away with the 58-56 road win.

SPECIAL PROMOTIONS
One hour prior to the game, from 5-6 p.m., a select number of Falcon Football players along with new head coach Dino Babers will be signing autographs in the concourse of the Stroh Center. The Falcon Store located in the lobby of the Stroh Center will have a selection of items for sale to get signed by the 2013 MAC Football Champions. The 2013 MAC Football Champions will also be recognized at halftime of the game for their incredible championship season last fall.

RIGHTING THE FALCON SHIP
The Falcons have righted the ship, as BGSU has posted three straight conference wins coming over Central Michigan, at Western Michigan and at Ohio after losing four straight games, their longest losing streak of the year.

COMEBACK KIDS
In each of the Falcons last two wins - at Western Michigan and at Ohio - BGSU has erased a double digit deficit. At Western Michigan, BGSU came back from a 15-point deficit in the second half to earn a 69-64 win. Versus Ohio, the Falcons overcame an 11 point first half lead to upend the Bobcats 58-56.

FALCONS' WINNING WAYS
BGSU is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, matching the longest streak of consecutive wins for the season. However, this current streak's victories have all come in MAC play.

TWO MORE FOR ORR
Coach Louis Orr has currently amassed 198 career wins as a head coach at his three posts (BGSU, Seton Hall and Siena) and is only two wins shy of 200 career victories.

FOUR SCORES ... IN MAC PLAY
The Falcons have four players averaging double digit points thus far this year in MAC play. Richaun Holmes (14.2), Spencer Parker (12.2), Anthony Henderson (11.8) and Jehvon Clarke (11.2) are all averaging double figures in BGSU's first five MAC games.

HISTORICAL ROAD WINS
With their back-to-back road wins at Western Michigan and at Ohio, the Falcons posted wins at Kalamazoo, Mich. and at Athens, Ohio for the first time in the same year since the 1990-91 season.

ROAD TRIUMPHS IN 2013-14
Bowling Green has posted three road wins this season - at Morehead State, at Western Michigan and at Ohio - which triples is win total in true road games last season. Prior to last season, the Falcons won only four road games in each of the previous two years.

A BLOCK FOR BLACK & HOLMES - SHARPIE
You can sharpie in a block for both Cam Black and Richaun Holmes at the opening tip, as the duo have both posted at least one block in each of the Falcons last 11 games. Holmes has recorded at least one block in each of the last 12 straight games for BGSU, while Black has at least one rejection in each of the last 11 contests.

CHASING OTIS
Both Cam Black and Richaun Holmes are chasing former Falcon Otis Polk for the most career blocks in BGSU men's basketball history. Polk's 159 career swats is 29 blocks ahead of both Black who is in second-place overall with 130 career rejections. Holmes is only one spot and one block behind Black with his 129 career blocks.

HOLMES' STREAK OF DOUBLE DIGIT SCORING GAMES
Forward Richaun Holmes' streak of games with double figures scoring has reached double digits, as the junior has scored in double figures in each of the last 12 games for the Falcons, the longest streak of the season.

BGSU MEN'S HOOPS RANKED IN THE TOP-25 IN A NUMBER OF NCAA STATISTICAL CATEGORIES
BGSU enters this week ranked in the top-25 nationally among a number of defensive categories in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball statistical rankings released on Monday, Jan. 19. BGSU is ranked 14th overall in blocked shots per game at 6.4 per contest and 19th in total blocks on the season with 108. The Falcons are also ranked 25th in steals per game with 8.5 per contest.

AMONG THE NATION'S LEADERS IN BLOCKED SHOTS
BGSU's Richaun Holmes is ranked in the top-15 in the nation in both blocks per game and total blocks. Entering the week of play, the 6-8 forward is ranked 14th in the nation in total blocks with 55 on the season and 15th overall with an average of 3.24 blocks per game.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS
BGSU takes pride in its defensive prowess, as the Falcons are first in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing a league low 62.3 points per game on the season. BG is also tops in the conference in blocked shots per game (6.2) and ranks tied for second in steals per game (8.6). In Conference play only, BGSU is holding its foes to a league low 55.6 points per contest.

AT THE TOP IN THE MAC
Bowling Green's Richaun Holmes leads the MAC in blocked shots on the season, as he has 56 total blocks and a league best average of 3.1 per game, while Anthony Henderson is ranked second in the MAC in steals with an average of 2.2 per contest and 40 total thefts overall. Jehvon Clarke leads the league in minutes played with an average of 35.2 minutes per contest.

NO REST FOR THE WEARY
Bowling Green has three players that lead the league in minutes played thus far this season. Jehvon Clarke (35.2), Spencer Parker (34.3) and Anthony Henderson (33.6) are 1-2-3 in minutes played this season in the MAC.

2ND HALF > 1ST HALF
Bowling Green has proven to be a second half team this season, as the Falcons have scored 69 more points (601-532) over the final 20 minutes of play compared to the first 20 minutes of action so far this year. Four of BGSU's six lowest total points output per half this season (18, 19, 19, 21) have come in the first half of play.

KEEPERS OF THE RIM: BLOCK BROTHERS
BGSU's duo of Cam Black and Richaun Holmes continue to prove to be an effective last line of defense for the Falcons, as the tandem have combined for 84 blocks over the Falcons' 18 games thus far this season. Both Black (130) and Holmes (129) are already in the top-three all-time at BGSU in career blocked shots.

BALANCED SCORING ATTACK
The Falcons this season have had a balance scoring attack, as in 16 of their 18 games this season BGSU has had multiple players record double digit points. In fact, BGSU has had at least three different players post double digit points in 15 of those 16 contests this season, while six different players have registered double digit points in at least one game thus far this year.

BALANCED SCORING ATTACK: TAKE 5
BGSU has had all five starters score in double digits in three different contests this season (Earlham, Presbyterian, Morehead State).

BREAK OUT SEASONS FOR THE FALCONS
BGSU has had a number of players already have break out seasons thus far in 2013-14, as seven different Falcons have recorded career-high's in points thus far this year with multiple players setting multiple career marks. Bowling Green has also seen a handful of players set career marks in other statistical categories such as rebounds, steals, assists, blocked shots and minutes played.

CLARKE'S HOT START AS A STARTER
Junior guard Jehvon Clarke, who made his first career start in the season opener versus Earlham, is averaging 11.7 points, 4.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals as a starter in 2013-14. He leads the team with 83 assists on the year.

PARKER STEPPING UP
Sophomore Spencer Parker has stepped up his game thus far this season, as the forward is averaging 12.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on the year. Parker, who was thrust into the starting lineup in the second game of the season due to injuries, has scored in double figures in 15 contests for Bowling Green this year, including setting a career-high in points per game on three different occasions. He also has totaled 20 points twice this season.

HOLMES' HOUSE
Junior forward Richaun Holmes has totaled 56 blocks thus far this season and has posted five blocks or more in a single game five times this year. Last season, Holmes set a new BGSU single-season record with 73 blocks on the season overall and this year is on pace to break that record as he is averaging 3.1 blocks per game.

PAINT PRESENCE
Head Coach Louis Orr's philosophy is always to play inside-out and the Falcons have done that well during his tenure. Over his last four-plus seasons, BGSU has scored 20 or more points in the paint in 128-of-151 games. BGSU has scored a high of 58 points in the paint twice during that span, including 58 points in a win versus Earlham in the season opener.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
In the last two years, the Stroh Center has proven to be a difficult place for opponents to play. The Falcons went 23-9 at home over the last two years, including posting a 3-0 mark at home in 2011-12 against teams that eventually went to the NCAA Tournament. Overall, the Falcons are 28-13 in the Stroh Center, which comes out to a .683 winning percentage, as BGSU is 5-4 at home this year.

THAT 70'S STROH
Bowling Green is 14-0 all-time when scoring at least 70 points in the Stroh Center. The Falcons reached 70 points six times last season and dropped 70 points or more five times in 2011-12.

DOUBLE-DIGIT HOME WINS
BGSU has won at least 10 home games in each of the past three seasons. This year, the Falcons are 5-4 at home and have a total of 15 home contests this season.

BLACK COLLECTS CAREER REBOUND NUMBER 500
Senior Cam Black grabbed six rebounds in the win at Western Michigan on Jan. 19, which allowed him to surpass the 500 career rebounds milestone.

ANT'S CAREER DAY AT WESTERN MICHIGAN
BGSU shooting guard Anthony Henderson had a career day on Jan. 19 at Western Michigan as he poured in a career-high 27 points in the win. Henderson had a career-high seven three-pointers in the win and also played a career-high 38 minutes overall. His 10 total made field goals was also a career-high.

BGSU'S HENDERSON EARNS MAC EAST DIVISION WEEKLY AWARD
Bowling Green's Anthony Henderson scored a career-high 27 points in the win over Western Michigan on Jan. 19 and was rewarded as the MAC East Division Men's Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 20.

HENDERSON NAMED THE MADNESS MID-AMERICAN MEN'S BASKETBALL POTW (1/20)
Redshirt-junior Anthony Henderson was named the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com) on Monday, Jan. 20. Henderson was key in the Falcons going 2-0 last week, with both wins coming in MAC play, and snapping a four-game losing skid. The shooting guard averaged 20 points, a team-high, 1.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.5 assists on the week, as he shot over 52 percent (9-of-17) from behind the three-point line in 73 minutes of play.

20/20 SCORING
In BGSU's 67-57 win over Central Michigan on Jan. 16, the Falcon's Richaun Holmes and Spencer Parker both posted 20 points apiece for the game becoming the first tandem of Falcons to score 20 points or more in a single game since A'uston Calhoun and Jordon Crawford each poured in 21 points apiece last season at Miami on Jan. 16, 2013. Holmes has posted 20 points or more three times this season, while Parker has reached the 20 point mark twice.

DENNY'S DEBUT AT BGSU
BGSU freshman guard Zack Denny made his intercollegiate debut on Sunday, Jan. 12, versus Northern Illinois. The newcomer hit 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line for seven points in 19 minutes of play off the bench for BGSU.

NEW FACE ON THE BGSU ROSTER
Redshirt-senior Shaun Joplin (Sylvania, Ohio) joined the BGSU roster in Jan. 2014. Joplin was a four year letterwinner on the Falcons' football team and was a pivotal part of the BGSU MAC Championship run this past season.

HO, HO, HOLMES
Junior forward Richaun Holmes enjoyed the month of December, as over the Falcons six games in the 12th month, he averaged 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per contest. Holmes shot 52.3 percent from the floor and 73.6 percent from the free throw line overall over that span.

HOLMES TABBED THE MADNESS MAC MEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK (12/16)
Bowling Green State University's Richaun Holmes was tabbed the Madness Mid-American Men's Basketball Player of the Week by College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com) on Dec. 16. Holmes registered back-to-back career-highs in blocked shots during the week, posting seven in both a home win over North Dakota and a road win at Morehead State. His seven blocks tied the school record for the most blocks in a single game and is the most by a BGSU player in a single game since Scott Vandermeer totaled seven versus Ohio back on Feb. 7, 2005.

HOLMES TABBED MAC EAST DIVISION PLAYER OF THE WEEK TWICE THIS SEASON
Bowling Green State University forward Richaun Holmes has twice been named the MAC Men's Basketball East Division Player of the Week. The junior received the weekly conference award back-to-back weeks on Dec. 9 and 16.

BLOCK HISTORY
The Falcons 14 total team blocks on Dec. 15 at Morehead State set a new BGSU single game record for the most blocks in a game. The previous record was 13 blocks, which BGSU set just one game earlier versus North Dakota on Dec. 11.

MUCH NEEDED ROAD WIN
The Falcons picked up its first road of the season on Dec. 15, as BGSU defeated Morehead State 67-61 in Morehead, Ky. The road win was the first non-conference road win for BGSU since a 61-53 win at FIU on Dec. 22, 2011 and is the first overall road win for the Falcons since last year, a 57-41 road win at Northern Illinois on Feb. 6, 2013.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE X TWO
Senior Cam Black posted two straight double-doubles in the Falcons two contests in Cancun, Mexico at the 2013 Cancun Challenge. The 6-10 center posted 12 points and 14 rebounds versus Presbyterian and then 10 points and 13 rebounds against Oral Roberts. With his second straight double-double, Black becomes the first Falcon to accomplish that feat since Nate Miller posted three-straight double-doubles in March of 2008.

WE'LL TAKE THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
The Falcons set a new school record for thefts as a team in a single game in its season opener versus Earlham, as BGSU recorded 22 steals overall for the game. Guards Jehvon Clarke and JD Tisdale each recorded six steals apiece, both career-highs.

RECORD SETTING SEASON OPENING WIN OVER EARLHAM
The 53-point win over Earlham was the largest margin of victory for a Falcons' team since BGSU defeated Urbana 114-52 back on Dec. 22, 1999. BGSU also reached the 100-point mark for the first time since defeating Urbana 103-78 back on Nov. 21, 2003. The Falcons had six players score in double figures in the season opening win for the first time since the Nov. 28, 2009 vs. Milwaukee.

COACH ORR'S COLLEGIATE NUMBERS
Head Coach Louis Orr reached a number of career milestones in the season opening contest versus Earlham, as he recorded his 500th career win at the collegiate level as player, assistant coach and head coach. The 2013-14 season opener was also his 800th career game as a participant in some capacity at the collegiate level.

FRESH FACES
BGSU head coach Louis Orr has four new players on the 2013-14 squad. JD Tisdale (Flint, Mich./Swartz Creek High School), Zack Denny (Germantown, Ohio/Valley View High School), and Garrett Mayleben (Milford, Ohio/Milford High School) will all join transfer Josh Gomez (Brooklyn, N.Y./Rice High School/Iona) among this year's incoming class.

FILLING OUT THE ROSTER
BGSU's roster has been filled out with a number of walk-ons, which includes former BG football player Shaun Joplin (Sylvania, Ohio/Southview High School) who joined the team in January 2014. Brandon Busuttil (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada/St. John's-Kilmarnock School), Michael Gallagher (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor High School) and Avery Turner (Detroit, Michigan/Renaissance High School) round out the roster for the Falcons.

FALCONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Bowling Green will play a minimum of three games this year on Time Warner Cable Sports, per the Mid-American Conference regional television package. BGSU will play at Western Michigan on Jan. 19, at home versus Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 20 and then once more at home against Akron on Feb. 9 on TWC Sports. The Falcons will also play on ESPN3 vs. South Florida, at Wisconsin and at Western Michigan, as well as twice on a Fox Sports Network affiliate in Fox Sports 1 at Xavier and Fox Sports Midwest Plus at Saint Louis.

MEDIA PICKS BOWLING GREEN SIXTH IN PRESEASON POLL
After graduating their top-two scorers, as well as three of its five starters, Bowling Green was selected to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference East Division by vote of the league's MAC News Media. Akron was selected to win the East, followed by Buffalo, Ohio, Kent State, and Miami.

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